October 9. same year (1642) there was an order of the Hall, (or of the new constituted authorities,) that the Charters should be read by the Town-Clerk, in English, “that those of that body might the better understand what then were sworn to maintain.”—We cannot discover that any thing of the kind was ever thought of here, but at this time of republican predominance: at all other times the members of the Hall, as well as the freemen at large, were called upon to swear to maintain certain unknown rights—a something they knew not what.—Nineteen out of twenty, perhaps, of our present freemen have been thus solemnly sworn, which must render those freemen the most disreputable and contemptible part of our whole population: for what can degrade any man more than to submit to swear what he does not understand?
1643. January 2. Parliament ordered that the mayor, aldermen, and common council of Lynn, should pay and allow their two representatives, out of the town stock, as large an allowance per diem as they had used to pay any of their aldermen that had represented that town in parliament.—The corporation would fain have evaded this expense—partly on the plea, that the whole body of freemen had a voice in the election of these two members, and not the Hall alone, as usual; and therefore that this payment should not rest solely on the latter. But their chief plea was poverty, and having no town stock. It was however not admitted, and our corporation at last agreed to pay their two representatives 5s. a day during their attendance in parliament.
March 20. Oliver Cromwell (then called Col. Cromwell) visited this town, and was entertained here at the expense of the corporation. [1200]—The curious painted glass, in the windows of St. Margaret’s church, taken down this year, and replaced with plain glass.
1644. Ships coming hither from places infected with the plague obliged to observe quarantine fourteen days, one half in the roads and the other in White Friar’s Fleet—Col. Valentine Wauton was now governor, and Miles Corbet recorder of Lynn—both of whom sat afterwards as judges at the king’s trial, and finally suffered among the condemned regicides.
1645. In February Sir Thomas Fairfax visited Lynn, and was entertained at the expense of the corporation.—Dorothy Lee and Grace Wright were also murdered here legally by the magistrates; or, in other words, hanged for witchcraft.—The plague visited the town again this year.—Col. Hobart became now governor, and Guybon Goddard deputy recorder of Lynn.
1646. The eleventh of May this year was rendered not a little conspicuous among our memorable days, by a most curious resolution of the Hall, expressed as follows in our volume of extracts—“It is this day ordered that alderman Th. Rivett be requested to send for Mr. Hopkins the Witch-Discoverer to come to Lynn, and his charges and recompense to be borne by the town.”—This year also the charge of the Town Records was committed to one Ticket Browne, who had been turned out for erasing and falsifying them, thirteen years before.—The town having suffered much by means of Lord Paulet, parliament ordered reparation to be made out of his estate.—see p. 761.
1648. A woman was hanged here, for killing her child: Her name supposed to be Rose Warne, of whose penitent death Mr. Horn, then vicar of South Lynn, published an account.—The ruinous state of the town being now represented to parliament, they voted “2000 oaks for reparation thereof.” see p. 761.
1649. Lease of three Ferry-rights granted to John Bird, at 10l. per annum, and a brace of well-fatted Swans to the mayor.
1650. An insurrection of royalists now took place in this county, and the Lynn garrison employed in its suppression.—One Major Saul was then taken and hanged here in the Tuesday Market-place, see p. 769.—Dorothy Floyd (or Lloyd,) murdered by our magistrates: (that is, hanged for witchcraft:)—one of the blessed effects, we may suppose, of Hopkins the witchfinder’s late visit.—October 16. Shops ordered to be shut up every Thursday during Lecture-time, to the end that people and their servants might attend the hearing the word of God—This order was issued by the very people who had sent for the witchfinder; so that we cannot attach much merit to it.
1651. Lynn petitioned parliament against the erection of Denver Sluice, which was probably no injudicious step.